What Students Say
Likes
- It was in the city of Philadelphia which is not too expensive for students
- Highly multicultural environment with students from all over the world
- Very active student government association of which I was an active member of.
Dislikes
- The courses were not that great
- My class in particular had an overwhelming majority of Chinese students
- Very nosy and strict administration, curtailing freedom of students to do things according to their liking
Required Exams for Admission
Course Curriculum
- It was more theoretical and difficulty depended on the course and my interests
- That it was theoretical and was mostly US based was a negative aspect despite having more international students and claiming to be an international student friendly university. The faculty that teaches is well renowned in most cases
- Typically there is one class which is of 3 hour duration
- Number of indian studens in my class 40
Admission Experience
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Applied into: -
- Columbia - MS in Non Profit Management - Rejected
- University of Chicago - Harris School of Public Policy - Masters in Public Policy - Accepted
- NYU - MS in Non Profit Management - Accepted
- LSE - Masters in Public Policy - Accepted
- NUS - Masters in Public Policy - Rejected
- UPenn - MS in Non Profit Leadership and Social Policy with Data Analytics - Accepted
- University of Sussex - Institute of Development Studies - MA Governance - Accepted
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I was probably rejected from Columbia and NUS because I did not customised my application according to the course that I was applying for
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The major factor in deciding to go for UPenn was the full tuition scholarship that I received.
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I had to fill the application on their portal with my previous academic documents, including SOP, LOR and a IELTS score. GRE/GMAT was not required for any of the colleges that I applied to. In fact, I shortlisted colleges wherever GRE/GMAT was optional
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Hold at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university anywhere in the world; Have a grade point average (GPA) that reflects strong academic ability;
For international applicants whose first language is not English, TOEFL score (Institutional Code D698) of 100 or higher, IELTS score of 7.5 or higher, or Duolingo English Test score of 135 or higher taken within the last two years. -
Overall admission process was fairly straightforward and the instructions were pretty clear from the beginning. The admissions team was also quite responsive.
- I applied for Fall 2022 intake and I wanted to explore a different country as well as a global university.
- It took around 2 months for the whole application process.
- The priority application deadline is December 1st. The final application deadline is February 1st.
- Applications, transcripts, and supporting materials (letters of recommendation and, if applicable, official English language proficiency test scores and evaluated transcripts) must be submitted through the online application system by the deadline for applications to be considered complete. Please note that official copies of test scores typically take 3-4 weeks to arrive, so schedule your English language proficiency exam accordingly.
- Select priority application applicants who are not admitted to the program early may be considered in the final application pool instead of being rejected. Applications will be accepted and considered after February 1st only if slots remain to be filled in the program.
Faculty
- Faculty Student ration depends on the class. I have had 8 students as well as 40 students in my class. Less students certainly help in interaction with the faculty more but more students in the class means you get more ideas and higher peer-learning
- Teaching methodology for most courses was fairly traditional. The job market has nothing to do with what we have learnt in our course. There are multiple other factors that are more important from a job market perspective
- Yes, I have heard a few students getting help from their faculty members and my teachers also tried to connect me to some of them
- Dennis Culhane because he comes with a wealth of experience in homelessness and research
Campus Life
- There were more than 50 buildings at UPenn campus
- Library, Gym, Hospital, Graduate center, women's center, open space, classrooms
- Spring Gala, GAPSA, Rangoli, PAGSA, CSSAP. We celebrated every major festival such as Holi, Diwali, Lunar New year, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Eid, etc.
- The Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA) is the official student government representing graduate and professional students at the University of Pennsylvania. We champion the interests of students across all twelve graduate schools (G12) as well as several campus affinity groups (IDEAL), collaborating closely with administrators to ensure student perspectives drive policy. Our General Assembly (GA) is proportionally composed of graduate and professional students elected by each G12 member, as well as IDEAL representatives. The GA elects our President, Vice Presidents, and Council Chairs, who in turn appoint Directors and Deputies to help execute GAPSA essential functions and special projects. The GA convenes biweekly on Wednesday evenings
Part Time Jobs
- Almost everyone is able to secure some kind of on campus paid position
- Anywhere from $12-$25
- At different centers like family center, women's center, LGBT center, Graduate Student Center, etc. Pay ranges from $15-$25
- You can work upto 20 hours a week as an international student
- It is fairly easy to secure an on campus part time jobs. You have to apply on workday
- Pay for on campus part time jobs ranges from $15-$25 -It is fairly easy to secure an on campus part time job because there are plenty of jobs available for every student - At Upenn, there is a portal called workday where all on campus jobs are posted. You have to prepare a CV and cover letter and upload that and if you are shortlisted, you will be called for an interview
Placement
- Less than 50% of international students were able to get job within 6 months
- Average salary range is around $60,000
- There are career fairs by the career center at Penn where students can meet recruiters. There is workday and of course LinkedIn is the most popular one
- Many of them have been placed in analytics companies and public policy companies along with some people going into non profit and even for profit organizations
Accommodation
- WhatsApp groups and offcampus housing portaL
- $600 and heating, dishwasher, microwave was included
- I was looking for something cheaper but couldn't find anything cheaper than $550. It was very far from the university then
- Keep checking WhatsApp groups
- 10 minutes walking from campus. Most Indian students stay within a 20 minute walking distance
Exams
- Applicants are not required to submit GRE scores.
- For international students whose first language is not English, we require official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test scores taken in the last two years. Minimum scores are:
- TOEFL: 100 on the Internet-based (iBT) TOEFL
- IELTS: Overall Band Score of 7.5
- Duolingo English Test: Overall Score of 135
- TOEFL scores should be sent to Institutional Code D698 and Department Code 99.
- To submit IELTS scores, request an official copy of your standardized test scores to be sent directly to our office using the IELTS E-Delivery Account Name: University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice. Confirm that you have selected the correct department by verifying that the associated address for the account is 3701 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6216.
- Duolingo English Test scores should be sent to the University of Pennsylvania, School of Social Policy & Practice. No application ID is needed.
- SOP, LOR, Transcripts, CV
- All students will be asked to complete a recorded video interview prior to submitting the application. You will be asked to record your answer to four questions and will have time to both practice recording and prepare for the questions prior to recording your video interview. We would advise planning to spend approximately 20 minutes distraction-free to complete the recorded video interview process.
- On occasion, applicants will be asked to interview after application submission. Although there is little preparation needed for the interview, you may want to consider the following:
- Review your responses to the video interview prompts;
- Be on time (sign into Zoom a few minutes early);
- Dress professionally (wear what you feel is appropriate for a job interview);
- Relax and be yourself.
Fees
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This is the total tuition cost of full-time enrollment in the NPL program for the academic year (fall and spring) and assumes registration in 10 course units (5 course units per term). Adjustments will be made for registration in more or fewer than 5 course units in the fall or spring semesters. Tuition and expenses are adjusted annually.
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Academic Year -2024-2025
Tuition -$72,500
General Fee- $4,108
Technology Fee- $720
Clinical Fee- $742
ACADEMIC YEAR TOTAL - $78,070 -
Fee is charged semester wise.
Nine-Month Programs
Housing- $12,564
Food- $5,796
Books and Supplies- $1,358
Transportation- $1,062
Personal Expenses- $2,008
Health Insurance- $4,210
Total- $26,998 -
Twelve-Month Programs
Housing- $16,752
Food- $7,728
Books and Supplies- $1,812
TransportatioN- $1,416
Personal Expenses- $2,676
Health Insurance- $4,210
Total- $34,594
Scholarship
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Yes, I received the Social Justice Scholarship.
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To be eligible for consideration, the applicant must have:
-Applied by the priority deadlines below to one of SP2’s three master’s degree programs: Master of Social Work (MSW), Master of Science in Social Policy (MSSP), or Master of Science in Nonprofit Leadership (NPL)
Demonstrated an interest in and capacity for leadership in social good
Capacity for and willingness to be active, full participants in all elements of the SP2 Scholars program -
The scholarship waived my full tuition amount
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Yes, several of my batchmates received scholarships from the university in forms of a financial aid package
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0n average 50% of the students receive some form of financial aid but only a few receive a good amount of scholarship that will cover all costs (tuition + living)
